Usha Vance responds to Abdul El-Sayed’s Ohio family dig

Second Lady Usha Vance has brushed aside a personal remark made by Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed about her marriage to Vice President JD Vance, choosing to respond with humor while emphasizing the close relationship she shares with her husband’s family. In an interview with Fox News, Usha Vance said she laughed when she heard El-Sayed’s comment, which referred to whether JD Vance would take her “back in time to meet Papaw,” a reference to his late grandparents who played an important role in his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy.

Usha Vance acknowledged that she never met JD Vance’s grandparents but said she knows and cares deeply for the family members they raised. She explained that her husband’s mother, aunt and uncle have always welcomed her warmly and that his aunt has become like a second mother to her.

Rather than responding directly to the criticism surrounding El-Sayed’s remarks, Usha focused on the positive relationship she has developed with the Vance family. She said the warmth shown to her by her husband’s relatives led her to believe that his grandparents would also have treated her with kindness had she known them.

Usha Vance, who is the daughter of Indian immigrants, also spoke about her first impressions of Ohio. She said she had never visited the state before meeting JD Vance and admitted that she initially had an inaccurate picture of what the region would look like. JD Vance has reportedly teased her about expecting Ohio to resemble Iowa.

Her experience after visiting Ohio, however, changed those expectations. Usha described the state as culturally diverse and said she was surprised by the variety of traditions and communities she encountered. She also praised the people she met for being welcoming and accepting.

Usha said her relationship with JD Vance’s relatives has made her feel that she is fully part of the family. Her comments appeared to shift the focus away from El-Sayed’s personal joke and toward the strong family connections she has developed since marrying the vice president.

El-Sayed’s original comment emerged during the Michigan gubernatorial race and was widely circulated on social media, with critics characterizing it as a personal attack involving the vice president and his family. Usha did not directly condemn the Democratic candidate, instead choosing to respond by highlighting her positive experiences with the Vance family.

JD Vance has frequently discussed the importance of his grandparents in shaping his childhood and personal development. His grandparents, known as Mamaw and Papaw, were prominent figures in his memoir and have remained an important part of his public story.

Usha’s response reflects her decision to address the controversy without escalating the political dispute. By focusing on her relationship with her husband’s relatives and describing them as her own family, she offered a personal response to the remark while emphasizing the bond she shares with the Vance family.